"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven."
Clean, beautiful running Green River.
"When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things." ~ Norman Vincent Peale
"Why indeed must God be a noun? Why not a verb--the most active and dynamic of all?"
Green River Cove, Saluda, North Carolina
Looking for coffee at 4 pm, we stumbled on this delightful cafe, tucked inside the Market Square Gallery on South Main Street. The former railroad store is something to see. Charming. Unique. Rich with history, good food, and southern hospitality.
Lights and minature villages, a huge Christmas tree decorated with Easter eggs. Is this a restaurant or antique store? Yes, both. And More. It's a museum and a walk through time with photographs of the town in the 30s and the railroad that plays such a vital role in the Erwin economy. The dining tables feature decoupaged photos of trains and ancestors. There's a dance floor and live music on the weekends.
We came for coffee and couldn't resist the homemade desserts, so we shared a triple layer, just-made chocolate cake. Melted in your mouth. Dinner nightly, says owner and hometown girl Barbara Hawley, is a $7.95 buffet.
A remarkable tribute to a remarkable heritage. Don't miss it.
Just off Hwy 107, here we are alongside the peaceful North Indian Creek in the Limestone Cove Recreation Area, East Tennessee...
This area was part of the Cherokee hunting grounds. In the 1800s the area was known for its ore banks, timber industry, and railroad...
Steven and his cathedral forest... 
Lunch at another secluded picnic spot along a gentle creek with lush forest. We had the area all to ourselves.
"Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man."~ Vladimir Nabokov
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." ~ John Milton
Here I am, listening to this beautiful creek sing my name. You have to admit that my new pink leather vest looks great against all this lush, vibrant spring green.
"God’s grace flows like water, steadily downward to the lowest part. Indeed, how could we experience grace at all except through our defects?" ~ Philip Yancey
Near the small South Carolina town of Gowensville, just off SC 14, we discovered the placid area surrounding Campbell's Covered Bridge. Built in 1909, the red bridge is the only covered one remaining in South Carolina and extends across a gentle, meandering stream. With the spring green and stunning dogwood trees bursting color all around, this was a lovely surprise.
Gorgeous riding today south, along the border of North and South Carolina. Up and down side streets near Landrum and Tryon. Just a great day of exploration.
We stopped and had a picnic lunch at Lake Cunningham, just off of SC County Road 135 and Highway 101, northwest of Greer. A very pretty lake with a wildfowl sancuary at its western edge. People were fishing, enjoying the sun. Boating is allowed but no more than 5HP motors.
Pristine water... lovely sound of rushing life...
Indian Creek, near Unicoi, Tennessee 
Waynesville, North Carolina
April soaks color through
Blues and greens Vibrant.
Mt. Pisgah slopes,
rises nearby.
Warm earth, fertile
ready.
Branches pushing life
out up in.
Spring.
Now.
Hominy Creek, Candler, North Carolina...
Phlox in Candler, North Carolina... beautiful pink, purple, and white against a canvas of spring green...
